How Can Fire And Security Subcontractors Find Regular Contract Work?
One of the attractions of subcontracting in the fire and security industry is the freedom it can offer. You can work on different projects, build experience across different systems and potentially have more control over where and when you work.
The obvious downside is that somebody still has to find the next contract.
There is a big difference between finding occasional fire and security subcontract work and having a reasonably consistent pipeline of opportunities. A subcontractor might be busy for three months on a large installation project, but if they only start looking for their next assignment during the final week, they are leaving themselves exposed to an unnecessary gap in work.
The subcontractors who stay consistently busy tend to approach things differently. They build relationships, keep people informed about their availability and make sure the companies and recruiters who regularly need subcontract support understand exactly what they can do.
So, how can you put yourself in the best position to find regular fire and security contract work?
Where Does Fire And Security Subcontract Work Come From?
There isn’t one single source of subcontract work within the industry.
Some subcontractors work directly with fire and security companies. Others build relationships with specialist recruitment agencies, manufacturers, integrators or larger contractors. Work can also come through former colleagues, recommendations, LinkedIn, industry contacts and job boards.
Most established subcontractors will eventually develop a combination of these.
The important thing is not to become completely dependent on one route. A company that has kept you busy for the last six months might suddenly finish a project, lose a contract or simply have less work in your area. That doesn’t necessarily reflect on you as a subcontractor, but it can leave you searching for something else at short notice.
Building relationships with several sources of work gives you more options when circumstances change.
This is particularly important in fire and electronic security because requirements can be extremely specific. One week there may be demand for CCTV installation engineers on a large project, while another client might urgently need somebody with particular fire alarm commissioning experience.
Being known by the right people can make a significant difference.
Finding One Contract Is Not The Same As Finding Regular Work
Searching online for “CCTV subcontract work” or “fire alarm subcontractor jobs” might help you find an immediate opportunity, but it doesn’t necessarily create any continuity.
Regular subcontract work is usually built through relationships.
If somebody has worked with you previously and knows that you turn up, communicate properly and can complete the work required, there is considerably less risk in using you again. The same applies when working through a specialist recruitment agency. Once your experience, capabilities and working preferences are understood, matching you with future requirements becomes much easier.
That is why your next contract shouldn’t only become a priority when your current one is about to finish.
If you know an assignment is due to end in four weeks, start having conversations. If a project has an uncertain completion date, keep the people you work with informed. If you’ve been extended for another three months, tell anyone who is expecting you to become available.
Good communication makes planning easier for everyone.
Be Clear About The Work You Actually Want
“Fire and security engineer” can mean a huge number of different things.
Two engineers might both use exactly that description while having completely different experience.
One could specialise in fire alarm installation and commissioning on large commercial sites. Another might primarily service CCTV, access control and intruder systems. Someone else could have spent years working with enterprise-level security systems, while another subcontractor may specialise in first and second fix installation.
Before approaching companies or recruitment agencies, be clear about what you actually want to do.
That includes the systems and manufacturers you know, whether you prefer installation, service, maintenance or commissioning work, the locations you can cover and how far you are prepared to travel. It can also include the types of sites and projects you have experience working on.
The more accurately somebody understands your capabilities, the easier it is to contact you about relevant work.
It also saves everybody time. Being called about a contract 200 miles away on a system you’ve never worked with isn’t particularly useful to you or the person trying to fill it.
Keep Your Availability Up To Date
Availability changes quickly in subcontract recruitment.
A contractor who is available today might accept a three-month assignment tomorrow. Equally, someone who expected to be working until Christmas could suddenly become available because a project has finished earlier than expected.
Keeping recruiters and industry contacts updated sounds simple, but it can make a real difference.
If a client calls looking for two engineers who can start the following week, the first people considered will often be those who are known to be available and whose experience matches the requirement.
Nobody wants to spend hours ringing subcontractors who may have been booked for the last six months.
At Complete Security Recruitment, we regularly speak to fire and security subcontractors about their current and upcoming availability. Knowing when somebody is finishing an assignment, where they are based and what type of work they want next allows us to match them against suitable requirements as they arise.
You don’t necessarily need to be out of work before having that conversation.
In fact, we’d much rather know in advance.
Build Relationships Before You Need Them
This is probably one of the biggest differences between subcontractors who regularly find work and those who constantly find themselves starting again.
If the only time you contact somebody is when you need work immediately, they can only help if they happen to have the right requirement at exactly that moment.
Keeping in occasional contact gives you a much better chance of lining things up.
That doesn’t mean phoning a recruiter every Monday morning asking whether anything has appeared. It simply means maintaining the relationship and keeping your information current.
If you’ve gained experience on a new system, say so. If your geographical coverage has changed, update them. If you’re finishing a project in three weeks, let them know.
It is much easier to have a conversation about an opportunity before you become available than to try to manufacture the perfect contract after your previous job has already finished.
Make It Easy For Companies To Use You Again
Finding regular subcontract work isn’t only about searching for more opportunities. Repeat work can be just as important.
A company that has already had a good experience with you has a reason to call again.
Technical ability obviously matters, but it isn’t the only factor. Turning up when expected, communicating when there is a problem, completing paperwork properly and behaving professionally on the client’s site can all influence whether somebody wants to use you again.
The subcontractor who causes unnecessary problems can quickly become harder to place, regardless of how technically capable they are.
We’ve looked at this in more detail in our guide to why some fire and security subcontractors get picked first for new work.
Ultimately, being somebody that clients want back is one of the best ways to reduce the amount of time you need to spend searching for your next assignment.
Should You Use Job Boards To Find Fire And Security Contract Work?
Job boards can absolutely be useful, particularly if you’re actively looking for something immediately.
They shouldn’t necessarily be your entire strategy.
By the time a subcontract requirement appears publicly, a company may already have spoken to previous contractors, recruitment partners and people within its own network. Some requirements may never need to be advertised at all.
That is one reason relationships are so valuable.
If a specialist recruiter already knows that an experienced CCTV engineer is becoming available in a particular area next month, they don’t have to wait for that engineer to find an advert and apply.
The conversation can happen much earlier.
Job boards are therefore another useful route into the market, rather than the only place you should be looking.
Does Specialist Experience Help You Find More Subcontract Work?
It can, but being highly specialised isn’t automatically better than being multi-skilled.
The important thing is being able to clearly demonstrate what you can do.
Certain projects require very specific experience. A client may need somebody who has previously commissioned a particular fire alarm system, worked with an enterprise access control platform or has the right experience for a complex CCTV project.
In those situations, specialist knowledge can put you in a very strong position.
On other projects, flexibility is more valuable. A client might prefer an engineer who can work across CCTV, access control and intruder systems rather than bringing in different subcontractors for each element.
Neither route is automatically right or wrong.
Understanding where your experience sits within the market helps you target the right opportunities instead of applying for every contract that happens to contain the words “fire and security”.
Can A Recruitment Agency Help You Find Regular Subcontract Work?
A specialist recruitment agency can give you another route to opportunities, particularly when it has established relationships with companies that regularly use subcontract resource.
But simply registering with an agency doesn’t guarantee continuous work.
The relationship works best when the recruiter understands you properly.
At Complete Security Recruitment, our subcontract team works exclusively within the fire and electronic security industry. We speak to companies about their resource requirements and to subcontractors about their experience, location, availability and the type of assignments they want.
That means the aim isn’t simply to put your details onto a database and wait.
When a suitable requirement comes in, we want to know which subcontractors could genuinely be a good match for it.
For the contractor, that can provide access to another stream of potential work alongside existing clients, contacts and other routes you already use.
For the company, it provides access to subcontract resource when additional engineers are needed.
There are several reasons why a business might choose that option rather than immediately increasing its permanent headcount. We explain those situations in more detail in when a fire and security company should use subcontractors instead of recruiting permanently.
Planning Ahead Works Both Ways
Companies aren’t the only ones who benefit from planning their recruitment and resource requirements early.
Subcontractors can do exactly the same thing.
If a business knows it has a project beginning next month, it has time to identify suitable subcontractors rather than searching at the last minute. Equally, if you know when your current assignment is likely to finish, you have time to make sure the right people know when you will be available.
The two sides of the market work better when neither leaves everything until the last minute.
We’ve discussed the employer side of this in why fire and security recruitment works better when companies plan ahead.
For subcontractors, the principle is much the same.
You can’t guarantee that another contract will start the day after your current one finishes. Projects move, requirements change and clients’ plans can be delayed. But giving yourself several weeks to explore the market puts you in a much stronger position than starting from scratch once you’ve already finished.
How Can You Reduce Gaps Between Fire And Security Contracts?
There will always be an element of uncertainty when working on a subcontract basis. That’s part of the nature of contract work.
What you can do is reduce avoidable gaps.
Keep in touch with companies that have used you previously. Maintain relationships with specialist recruiters. Keep your experience and availability current. Make sure people understand the systems you know and the geographical areas you can realistically cover.
Most importantly, start looking ahead while you are still working.
The objective isn’t necessarily to have dozens of people constantly sending you unsuitable contracts. It’s to build a smaller number of useful relationships with people who understand what you do and are likely to contact you when the right requirement appears.
Over time, those relationships can become considerably more valuable than repeatedly starting a new job search every time an assignment ends.
Looking For Your Next Fire And Security Subcontract Role?
If you’re looking for fire alarm, CCTV, access control, intruder or wider electronic fire and security subcontract work, speak to the subcontract team at Complete Security Recruitment.
Tell us what you’ve been working on, the systems and projects you have experience with, where you can work and when you expect to become available.
You don’t need to wait until your current contract has finished.
The earlier we understand what you’re looking for, the better placed we are to speak to you when a suitable requirement comes up.
Call 01708 737744 to speak to our team about current and upcoming fire and security subcontract opportunities.
We are here to help you achieve your goals in the fire and security industry.
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